New York Philharmonic Dismisses Players Accused of Sexual Misconduct

The New York Philharmonic. Photo: Winston Zhou/Xinhua via Getty Images

The New York Philharmonic dismissed two players accused of sexual assault and abuse of power, Matthew Muckey and Liang Wang, per a November 4 report by the New York Times. They will be officially dismissed at the beginning of the next season and will be paid until then. The Philharmonic first attempted to fire Muckey, the associate principal trumpet, and Wang, the principal oboist, in 2018, but failed due to the musicians union Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. A public report of their sexual misconduct first circulated earlier this year, when New York reported “A Hidden Sexual-Assault Scandal at the New York Philharmonic” on April 12. In the immediate aftermath of the story, both musicians were put on leave from performing by April 14, and on July 11, the Philharmonic’s then-CEO, Gary Ginstling, resigned. “We have done the right thing and we have followed the letter of the law,” Deborah Borda, the Philharmonic’s interim leader post-Ginstling, told the Times. “The facts strongly supported our case.”

The investigation that determined Muckey and Wang’s fates was overseen by Tracey Levy, an outside lawyer. The Philharmonic is not releasing the report. The inquiry found that Wang had relationships with students and had influenced tenure decisions, per the Times. 11 women came forward against Wang and three against Muckey. The two men are currently suing both the Philharmonic and the players union.